West Highland Way

West Highland Way – All packed

All packed & ready (for anything) | richardgoeswalking.

So tomorrow I am off to Scotland, and the West Highland Way, with my optimistic walking companion Richard. See his blog entry above.

I have everything packed, but it looks a very small pile of kit – although I have included two backpacks! I had packed my Karrimor 25l day pack, but I have changed my mind and I now have decided to use my Golite Jam 2, it compresses quite well and will give me the extra comfort and space for the day we have to carry our overnight kit (there is one B&B where it will cost too much to ship our large case there).

Another thing I needed to sort before leaving – my iPhone has gone wrong again. See this post – I have tried the “putting the earphone plug in and out” and the “restore my iPhone completely” options but still no phone audio. I was really impressed by one of the Apple Support suggestions – “turn the volume up!”. So I am off to Scotland with a phone that only half works, I will be using the blue tooth earphone and hope the charge on the iPhone lasts all day!

You can follow our adventure, day by day, by following the links below to the daily blog entries and photos…

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West Highland Way – Practice Walk

I went out today to get some more practice miles done before the West Highland Way and explored some different paths around Heighington and out to the River Witham and the Sincil Drain.

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We ended up walking out to the bridge at Fiskerton using a path that ran along the top of the embankment, by the Sincil Drain. One bit of advice, the path is faint and very overgrown in places with thistles and nettles so wear long trousers (photo above), and don’t walk it when it is wet.

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The screenshot above is from my iPhone 4 using Memory Map.

At the Fiskerton Bridge we stopped for some tea and so a wasp could sting Richard! We then returned following the Water Rail Way back to Washingborough and then up to Heighington.

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Practice Walk for the West Highland Way

I am writing this post while waiting under the Kirkstead Bridge to be picked up. Why under the bridge, well although it started off sunny earlier today there has been hail and now it is pouring down! But I did get a 20k walking in – I think I will start a mileage tally of the practice walks for the WHW.

There are two words to describe today’s walk – DOG’S MESS. now I am sure there are many responsible dog owners who clean up after their pets, however there are many who do not. I took shelter under the bridge and sat on the concrete ledge to finish my coffee, to discover my boots were in several piles of unmentionable and these were not the first piles of the day. There were many not even at the sides of the track but in the middle. And to add a final twist to the behaviour of some pet owners, some people are clearing up after their animals and then hanging the full baggies in the trees along the path side! Someone explain that!

The photo below show the high level of the water in the Witham – making use of the flood protection overflow banks.

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